Just went to DVC presentation, thinking about purchasing at POLY, need newbie advice PLEASE

[wtrowbridge]

Hi there,
We went to a DVC presentation on Thursday while we were there on our 2nd vacation in 3.5 years. The numbers make sense from a savings stand point to us, because we do plan to return and we do love the Poly, but in trying to read over a lot of the posts on here and elsewhere, I am getting highly confused by a lot of the lingo and if this is the right decision for us. We need to make a decision by Thursday to receiv the free 74 pts they will also be giving us for signing a contract within one week.

Here are the basics for us:

* We plan to purchase 74 pts per year at a cost they quoted us of about $13k with Maintenance fees at about $440 per year.

* These would be used every 2-3 years to book a Lake View Deluxe Studio at the Poly (148 pts needed) - which we are fine with as that is the same space we would get with the normal hotel room we usually stay in there.

* We do not go to Disney every year and do not ever plan to, so spreading this out seems right for us.

* We will be going on a Low Season week in Sept. or Jan. and will always book 11 months out as I am a huge planner and can't ever think of a time I would book last minute.

* We do not care about having Laundry in room as I never do Laundry on a vacation

Does this sound like a good deal to you seeing as how we normally spend upwards of $2,000 - $2,800 on a 7 night room stay for Standard View anyway? What sorts of questions should I be asking or what else do I need to know?

 

[disneynutz]

My guess is that your free points aren't really free, based on your UY, you are paying for them. My recommendation is that you pass for now and spend some time learning about the product including the DVC rules, policies, and about the resorts.

Now if money isn't and issue and you don't care where you stay, go for it.

Bill

 

[supersnoop]

Will you always stay in a studio, or will you want something bigger in the future?
Will you stay at the Poly almost all the time, or will you want to stay at other resorts?

September to January is not "low" season. It's actually the busiest season for DVC when rooms are gobbled up very quickly at 11 months out.

Oh, and Use Year is important. I hope they aren't trying to sell you a February Use Year. That'd be the absolute worst for your projected travel dates.

 

[kimberwee]

Hi there,
We went to a DVC presentation on Thursday while we were there on our 2nd vacation in 3.5 years. The numbers make sense from a savings stand point to us, because we do plan to return and we do love the Poly, but in trying to read over a lot of the posts on here and elsewhere, I am getting highly confused by a lot of the lingo and if this is the right decision for us. We need to make a decision by Thursday to receiv the free 74 pts they will also be giving us for signing a contract within one week.

Here are the basics for us:

* We plan to purchase 74 pts per year at a cost they quoted us of about $13k with Maintenance fees at about $440 per year.

* These would be used every 2-3 years to book a Lake View Deluxe Studio at the Poly (148 pts needed) - which we are fine with as that is the same space we would get with the normal hotel room we usually stay in there.

* We do not go to Disney every year and do not ever plan to, so spreading this out seems right for us.

* We will be going on a Low Season week in Sept. or Jan. and will always book 11 months out as I am a huge planner and can't ever think of a time I would book last minute.

* We do not care about having Laundry in room as I never do Laundry on a vacation

Does this sound like a good deal to you seeing as how we normally spend upwards of $2,000 - $2,800 on a 7 night room stay for Standard View anyway? What sorts of questions should I be asking or what else do I need to know?

Just sent you a message via "conversation"

 

[wtrowbridge]

We plan to always stay in a studio, I doubt we will ever want anything bigger as we are used to regular old hotel rooms now and if we ever did want anything bigger, we would just book 2 adjoining rooms and pay the difference or borrow points from the next year.

I didn't mean Sept. - Jan. We will always either be vacationing sometime between Sept. 1-20 or Jan. 9-30

We would enjoy staying at the Poly all the time when we visit DisneyWorld. We have no desire to stay other places. Eventually when our kids are older, we may choose to take one trip by ourselves and try something like Animal Kingdom but for now we like Poly and the feel there. Certainly, if we ever used points to go elsewhere, like to Aulani, we would have to see what our points could get us and would be ok with paying the difference.

Can someone explain to me what "Use Year" is? Our rep said we would get 74 free points given to us now when we sign (to make up for the fact that they can't apply it to the stay we just had) and then we would get 74 pts every year on Sept. 1st. Does that mean our use year is Sept. 1 - Aug. 31 and is that bad for some reason?

 

[MrInfinity]

We need to make a decision by Thursday to receiv the free 74 pts they will also be giving us for signing a contract within one week.

Looking at your signature, the Poly is obviously your place (Poly-Poly-Poly). Given that, the Poly would be the only choice because that's where you like to stay.

The 74 points are not free. They're normal. It's as normal as getting free wheels on a car.
* The cost sounds about right.
* Your estimate on the Studio is right, 148 pts/wk, as long as you'll always be in Jan/Sep.
* Jan and Sep are great times to travel. (Adventure Season)

Questions...
What Use Year are they offering you?
Are they giving you several to pick from or nudging you toward one in particular?

One of the few drawbacks of the Poly is the absence of any larger rooms. You'll be capped at 5 people in the room. As long as that won't be a problem, you should be good!

The way to think of the free points is like this...
Say they're selling a Feb UY. That means that you get access to a new 74 points every Feb 1. But right now it's January. Feb hasn't hit yet, which means we're still in 2016 from a UY standpoint. Any contract bought from Disney will have full current points. Since it's 2016 technically, you'll get 74 points for 2016, and then 74 more when Feb 1 hits. (in 2 days!) You get that double allocation since Feb 1 is just around the corner, and they're calling that "free".

Say you wait 3 days, and it becomes Feb 2. Now if you buy direct, you'd be in 2017. So current points would be those Feb 2017 points, and you wouldn't get any more. You missed out on the 2016 points.

But nobody would actually buy a Feb UY contract in Feb for this very reason. If you were buying in Feb, you'd just buy a March UY instead. Then it's still 2016 for March UY's and you'd get the 2016 plus new points on March 1.

So while technically yes, if they're pushing the Feb UYs the "free" points would not be available if you wait till Feb -- that's really just a sales tactic because if you revisit in Feb, you'll buy a March UY and be just as well off. It's like they're telling you an offer is going to end while knowing an identical offer will be waiting.

For your intended travel dates, you really don't want a Feb or Mar UY. You should ask them if you can get Aug or Sep, because these are ideal for travel in Sep and Jan.

Can someone explain to me what "Use Year" is? Our rep said we would get 74 free points given to us now when we sign (to make up for the fact that they can't apply it to the stay we just had) and then we would get 74 pts every year on Sept. 1st. Does that mean our use year is Sept. 1 - Aug. 31 and is that bad for some reason?

UY is just the month in which your points become available each year. If you're looking at a Sep UY, that's good for your travel dates. That's optimal for travelling in Sep-Jan, with a fallback of Feb-April. After April (8 months into your UY) you'd really want to have used your points or bank them. So a Sep UY is not good for Summer trips. (May-Aug).

 

[wtrowbridge]

I am not sure about "use year" or what that means. He kept saying our points would renew every year in Sept. but then said our dues would be due Dec. 1st.

They didn't nudge us in any direction, we just knew we wanted the Poly and it looks like our only option is the Deluxe Studio, because we certainly can't afford a Bungalow. LOL

5 should be fine for the most part as we are not having any more children and there are 5 of us now. But, we could always get 2 Studios if need be (connected) and just pay the difference or borrow points from the next year since we will not be going every year.

 

[disneynutz]

Per DVC rules, you can only bank points during the first 8 months of your UY. That may be important and the best UY is the one where the 8 months covers the majority of your stays.

Buying resale will save you money.

We thought that we had a good grip on our Disney vacation needs but after buying DVC, things changed. After a few years we learned the best time of year to vacation and we gave up on studios and now stay in 1 &2 bedroom units. We also changed our minds of what we thought are our favorite resorts. The biggest change is that since we vacation at WDW so often, the parks aren't the primary reason to vacation at WDW, we spend more time at the resorts.

Bill

 

[wtrowbridge]

So, if our Use Year is Sept 2016, but we sign the contract on Feb. 2nd, we are given the 74 pts for Sept. of 2016 because we are purchasing in the 2016 Use Year because our 2017 Use year does not start until Sept. 2 of 2017 right?

So, like you said, not really getting anything for free, because we are purchasing in the current Use Year?

Which, we get that it was a sales tactic, we just need to decide if it is worth it to us to go ahead and sign this week or not. LOL

 

[wtrowbridge]

Per DVC rules, you can only bank points during the first 8 months of your UY. That may be important and the best UY is the one where the 8 months covers the majority of your stays.

Buying resale will save you money.

We thought that we had a good grip on our Disney vacation needs but after buying DVC, things changed. After a few years we learned the best time of year to vacation and we gave up on studios and now stay in 1 &2 bedroom units. We also changed our minds of what we thought are our favorite resorts. The biggest change is that since we vacation at WDW so often, the parks aren't the primary reason to vacation at WDW, we spend more time at the resorts.

Bill

So, when they guy told us we had 2 years to use points before they expired, that was not technically correct? Because we were looking at it this way:

Buy now - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2016 UY
Sept. 1, 2017 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2017 UY

Use those 148 points to stay Sept. 1-9, 2018 (which is the next time we plan to go)

Sept. 1, 2018 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2018 UY
Sept. 1, 2019 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2019 UY

Use those 148 points to stay Sept. 5-12, 2020

 

[kniquy]

So if your points "renew" every September then it sounds like you wold be getting a September UY -- this would be ideal for the time frame you like to travel. If you don't use your point you need to bank them by may -- this would allow you to use the points for the following UY (this is where you would get your points for the studio with banking those 74 points for a total of (148 points).

You mentioned going every 2-3 years -- for DVC to make sense you really need to go at least every other year. Otherwise you are probably better renting. trying to go every 3 years increased the risk of losing a ton of points if for some reason that trip has to be cancelled - you will likely lose out on a whole year of points.

we could always get 2 Studios if need be (connected) and just pay the difference

I am not sure how this would work out for you -- you can request adjoining studios, but it is only a request -not a guarantee. If you only have points with banking for one studio then even with borrowing points will not get you 2 studios. You would then have to do a CRO reservation - which would be expensive.

Those 74 points are your 2016 points -- they are not free - they are likely prorating maintenance fees for those points in part of your closing costs.

It sounds like you do need to research a little more. Back out. Research and if in 3 months you still want to buy your 74 points then call up your guide -- they will still give you the "free" 2016 points that you can have them bank into your 2017 points so that you could take a trip next year.

There is so much to learn. You might also want to look into the resale market where you can save a ton. There even is a little savings on buying poly resale. You miss out on some of the direct purchase benefits, but the only one worthwhile is the AP, but you would not use that benefit going every 2-3 years. Take a look at your family make up too -- you may only have 5 but what if a little surprise comes along and you have to get a larger villa (74 points is not going to get you very far). As your kids get older you might just need more space. Many have noted that traveling with teenagers makes poly a bit cramped. Think about the future room options. Really research your points charts to see your options at other resorts.

Are you paying cash or financing --if financing then you lose out on any real savings from joining DVC. You are better off saving the money and buying cash to avoid finance charges.

 

[chalee94]

So, when they guy told us we had 2 years to use points before they expired, that was not technically correct? Because we were looking at it this way:

Buy now - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2016 UY
Sept. 1, 2017 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2017 UY

Use those 148 points to stay Sept. 1-9, 2018 (which is the next time we plan to go)

your Sept 2016 UY pts are valid for stays from Sept 1, 2016 to Aug 31, 2017. You can bank them forward 1 year (only) which means they would be valid for stays from Sept 1, 2017 to Aug 31, 2018.

But yes, that still means they will expire and disappear into the void if not used for a stay by Aug 31, 2018. They cannot be used for a stay in Sept 2018.

Also be aware that nightly point costs can change or be reallocated - when I bought into OKW, weeknights cost 8 pts per night in early Dec, now they are 10 per night. OKW weekends came down in pts cost so there was no overall increase, but re-allocations do occur so I would not recommend buying exactly 74 pts in your case. DVC can work ok if you go every other year (if you have to cancel, you would have to rent the stay or something) but I would not recommend it for every-third-year.

 

[MrInfinity]

So, when they guy told us we had 2 years to use points before they expired, that was not technically correct? Because we were looking at it this way:

Buy now - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2016 UY
Sept. 1, 2017 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2017 UY

Not exactly... You understand it right, that you're getting points for Sep 2016 and you'll get more on Sep 2017.

But you really want to use these for a trip in 2017. The 2016 points can only be banked 1 year into the future. Thus, the 2016 UY points become 2017 UY points, and they need to be used by the end of 2017 (which for you would be August 2018). They would *not* be good for a trip so far in the future.

Your 2016 points will expire (and not be bankable a 2nd time) on Aug 30, 2018.

Sept. 1, 2018 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2018 UY
Sept. 1, 2019 - receive 74 pts for Sept. 2019 UY
Use those 148 points to stay Sept. 5-12, 2020

Again you're off a year on each one. 2018 and 2019 points, combined, would be good for travel in Sep 2019. Not 2020.

Your ideal travel dates would be Sep 2017 and Sep 2019, and every odd year thereafter. If you want to travel in even years, you would just sell (transfer) those 2016 points to someone else, for cash. $13pp, 74 points, you could make around $1000 selling your 2016 points.

Then you're set to use 2017 and 2018 to travel in 2018... 2019 and 2020 to travel in 2020, and so on.

 

[chalee94]

Alternatively, you could rent out or transfer your 2016 UY pts and use 2017 + 2018 for your planned Sept 2018 stay.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I strongly recommend slowing your roll. They will give you points for current UY no matter when you buy direct, and to say you have to buy this week is a pressure tactic.

Things you should learn:

• Use Year: What it is, how it helps you.
• Banking/Borrowing: How it works, when it can be done.
• Booking: The 11/7 rule.
• Dues: How much, how often.
• Reallocation: What can happen if points are reallocated and you have exactly the points you need for a room and that changes.

DVC may very well be a good choice for you. But right now, your understanding of bank/borrow and UY is such that you think you can use points gained now at a time they'll be expired and dead. While I can think of ways that buying now still works out for a 2018 trip using bank/borrow and renting some points, that's because I know the system.

Poly isn't going up in smoke, and they will give you two years' points if you buy March 1 instead of next week.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Which, we get that it was a sales tactic, we just need to decide if it is worth it to us to go ahead and sign this week or not. LOL

I say not, but not because I'm saying don't buy. The sign by Thursday date is also another sales tactic to get you to jump in without reconsidering or doing your due diligence. Just drop that day from the equation because if you call back 1 or 2 months from now you'll be offered the exact same thing with a Sept UY. Current 2016 points and all points going forward. They also just did a price increase so the price will likely remain steady for a few months at least.

 

[wtrowbridge]

OK, thanks everyone for the advice. We are going to slow down, do some more research and really think this through. At least we got the $100 gift card and the 12 extra FP while we were there for sitting with them for an hour! LOL

 

[disneynutz]

OK, thanks everyone for the advice. We are going to slow down, do some more research and really think this through. At least we got the $100 gift card and the 12 extra FP while we were there for sitting with them for an hour! LOL

An educated DVCer is a happy DVCer!

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

OK, thanks everyone for the advice. We are going to slow down, do some more research and really think this through. At least we got the $100 gift card and the 12 extra FP while we were there for sitting with them for an hour! LOL

A thread on UY to help you learn more about it: http://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-april-27-2016.1942668/

With a family of 5 I do think you might find you'd enjoy a larger villa as the kids get older. I like Poly and have booked multiple studios there already with non-Poly points but the larger villas are what I may love best about DVC. Perhaps you've already looked at the layouts at the other resorts but in your research it might not hurt to look at them if you haven't already. And the economics of DVC varies greatly between the resorts if that's any consideration and you haven't looked at the various point charts. For example, in January, you can get a standard view 1BR at Kidani that would have a king bed in the master and a queen pull out sofa, single pull out chair and 2 full bathrooms for just a few more points than the Poly LV studio. Of course I expect as long as you aren't going over the marathon weekend that both of those would be available at 7 months so no home resort advantage required but just to point out the point differences. A savanna view 1BR would be just a few points more than the PVB LV studio.

There's lots of info to be found here and if you have any questions someone is always ready to try and help! Good luck with your research!!!

 

[have2getaway]

OK, thanks everyone for the advice. We are going to slow down, do some more research and really think this through. At least we got the $100 gift card and the 12 extra FP while we were there for sitting with them for an hour

We were approached by a DVC rep. while staying at the Poly earlier this month, but we were in a hurry to make an ADR. I guess we should've gone.